Large earth working machines, such as mining dump trucks for example, typically have at least a pair of driven wheels which are rotatably mounted upon corresponding axle housings or spindles. Each wheel is driven through a final drive reduction gear train, which is typically a double-reduction planetary arrangement, drivingly connected with a cylindrical final drive adapter that partially surround the final drive ring gear. The final drive adapter connects planetary arrangement with the wheel and may be either a separate component fastened between the planet carrier of the planetary arrangement and the wheel or may be an integral portion of the planet carrier itself. The adapter is secured to the outboard end of the wheel, and a drive axle extending through the axle housing drives the final drive adapter, and thereby the wheel, via the final drive reduction gear train. Power to drive such earth working machines is typically provided by an internal combustion engine which drives the aforementioned drive axles either through a mechanical transmission and differential arrangement or through generation of electrical power to operate electric motors coupled with the drive axles.
It is common for each wheel to carry two rims with ground-engaging tires mounted thereto, namely an inboard rim and an outboard rim. Prior known configurations are typically assembled by sliding the inboard rim over the final drive adapter and along the wheel to a rim-mounting flange projecting radially from the wheel to which the inboard wheel is fastened. An outboard rim adapter, which comprises a one-piece ring, is then slid over the final drive adapter from the outboard end thereof and fastened thereto to provide a radially-projecting outboard rim-mounting flange. The outboard rim is then slid over the final drive adapter and fastened to the outboard rim-mounting flange. Alternatively, the adapter ring may be first fastened to the outboard rim, and the rim/adapter ring combination can then be slid over the final drive adapter and fastened thereto.
Wheel and rim configurations as described above are found, for example, on Model 793C mining trucks sold by Caterpillar Inc., Peoria, Ill., and on GDY85C AC motorized wheels manufactured by GE Transportation Systems, such wheels being found on Model 930E mining trucks sold by Komatsu Haulpak, Peoria, Ill.
Although the known wheel arrangement described above is satisfactory for current machine configurations, larger machines with larger payloads are considered desirable to achieve better hauling efficiency. As machines increase in size to accommodate larger payloads, the need for more robust drive train components is paramount, which typically means the use of larger components. For example, it is desirable in trucks which use a planetary final drive to utilize as large a ring gear as reasonably possible to reduce stress on the drive train and increase component life. However, prior art constructions limit the size of the final drive ring gear because the final drive housing must be small enough for the inboard rim to slide over the final drive adapter, which partially surround the final drive ring gear and for a one-piece rim adapter ring to be fitted around the final drive adapter from the outboard end thereof as described above.
In addition, because the outboard rim in known constructions is fastened to an adapter ring mounted to the outboard end of the final drive adapter, such known constructions require removal of the outboard rim prior to removal of the final drive ring gear for repair or replacement. As a result, it is necessary to raise the outboard tire from the ground and support the machine with jacks or the like in order to remove the outboard rim and service the final drive.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems described above.